Investing of £3 million to upgrade Ysgol Hirael

A £3 million investment at Ysgol Hirael, Bangor to improve facilities, to upgrade the building and the learning environment is a step closer, after Cyngor Gwynedd's Cabinet approved a recommendation to allocate funds from the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.

 

Cyngor Gwynedd will now form a business case asking Welsh Government to release 65% of the project cost, which is £1,950,000; with Cyngor Gwynedd contributing £1,050,000 of match funding.

 

Ysgol Hirael is at the heart of the city of Bangor and provides education to almost 200 children between the ages of 3 and 11. Unfortunately the school building has deteriorated, and the condition is not as good as other schools in the area.

 

Councillor Beca Brown, Cyngor Gwynedd's Education Cabinet Member, said: "I am extremely proud that we have been able to move closer to improving the Ysgol Hirael building after some delay in the Council's ability to invest in school buildings following the pandemic.

 

"This investment will not only make the school a much nicer place for the whole school family – including the pupils, all staff and the wider community – but it will also cut our expenditure on the building maintenance for the future. It is also something to be proud of that the school will be more eco-friendly as a result of the investment, as it will use less energy and produce less carbon.

 

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the children of the Bangor area benefit from the investment in the school building and have a learning environment which will enable them to continue to flourish educationally and socially."

 

Councillor Nigel Pickavance, one of the local members for the area, added: "I welcome this good news as the old building is dated and deteriorating.

 

"My three daughters have been pupils at Ysgol Hirael and I can testify that the new investment will improve the quality of school life for the pupils, offering them new opportunities and better experiences during school hours and beyond."

 

Councillor Dylan Fernley, the other local members for the area, added: “Generations of local children have been educated at Ysgol Hirael and it is a much-loved community asset. I’m looking forward to seeing the school when the work has been done and the positive effect it will have on the city’s children.”

 

Notes

Cyngor Gwynedd's Education Department will form a business case for the Welsh Government to release the money. If successful, it is hoped that the work will begin in the new academic year.